And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
50 years ago I was in charge of getting about hundred ton of hay bales off the pasture and in the barn. Damn good siblings and other kids in the neighborhood. Dad payed us for the work.
I've said it before, these look like 2-string bales which are about 25% to 30% lighter than 3-string bales. And yes, straw is way lighter than #1 alfalfa. Here in northern AZ, commercial bales are all 3-string and heavy. There are a few private alfalfa producers who run equipment made prior to about 1960 that produce 2-string bales. They turn out bales for their own livestock primarily. -Rob Muir
I used to move slightly less than two truck and trailer loads of 3 string premium alfalfa from where it was delivered to a hay barn at the ranch 15 miles away. I never did weigh individual bales but if you did the math each bale was +/-100 pounds. (490 bales per 25 ton net T&T load.) If some of those bales weren't 110 pounds I'll eat my hay hooks.
The only way you could stack bales like that in the barn was to stair-step them. IIRC, they were stacked 7 or 8 bales high.
My back is pretty much junk today (at 71 years old). But I'm not complaining. It was a great way to keep in shape. I just wish I could still do it.
String tied bales packed less than wire tied bales. I could pick up a two sting tied alfalfa bale and toss it one handed. Wire tied bales required both hands, and if it had been rained on and was soaked you had to use a knee boost to get it up in the air.
Yes, those appear to be two string bales. Never seen three string bales being tossed up like that. Stacking that 'builds character', especially when you have the move the old bales out before putting the new bales in place.
That guy is tough - I need gloves or the string will 'burn' the inside joints of my fingers. Yes, itchy when enters shirt and long sleeves are recommended to minimize abrasion from grass on forearms.
In my early 20s, put hay in the mow of an old mostly deaf farmer (RR and tractors). He would just keep tossing them on the elevator and bury me. Was crazy when you're stacking up near the roof. I'd be yelling, he'd be tossing.
When we had hogs in yards with A sheds, we would buy and stack 1500 to 1800 straw bales in two days and I threw every one of them for two or three other guys to stack into a hay mow and also under a tall roof. Didn't need to wear gloves in those days, but now a days 40-50 years later, it's a different story.
This is why they make balers with kickers and hay wagons designed to catch them. And hay elevators. Still requires a good bit of manual handling, but that way you aren't ruining your back trying to lift and throw them all.
Used to do about 3000 to 4000 bales a year of timothy hay, and had my three boys up in the loft stacking while I unloaded wagons onto the elevator. A horizontal track would take them from the elevator across the barn, and dump them off at different locations.
I layer out of school one day and tossed bales into a truck then the barn loft. Came home sunburnt with arms covered in scratches. Dad was raised on a farm. He knew but never said anything. Guess he figured I got a pretty good education that day.
Do people still do square bales? I used to load them for spending money when I was a kid in Oklahoma many years ago, but nowadays all I see are these big round bales.
every year we put @800-1000 small bales of hay for horses;, orchardgrass and Timothy, and 2400-2500 small bale oat or wheat straw for bedding horses and cows.
I realized I wanted to join the Army while I was throwing 90 lb bales of timothy when I was about 16. I figured the work was easier and the pay was better. Turns out, I was right.
Try that with alfalfa
ReplyDeleteStraw. But still, when it gets down your shirt when tossed up to the stack…
ReplyDeleteWe used a hay fork on the farm. You can lift the bale higher with more control.
ReplyDeleteAl_in_Ottawa
50 years ago I was in charge of getting about hundred ton of hay bales off the pasture and in the barn. Damn good siblings and other kids in the neighborhood. Dad payed us for the work.
ReplyDeleteI've said it before, these look like 2-string bales which are about 25% to 30% lighter than 3-string bales. And yes, straw is way lighter than #1 alfalfa. Here in northern AZ, commercial bales are all 3-string and heavy. There are a few private alfalfa producers who run equipment made prior to about 1960 that produce 2-string bales. They turn out bales for their own livestock primarily.
ReplyDelete-Rob Muir
I used to move slightly less than two truck and trailer loads of 3 string premium alfalfa from where it was delivered to a hay barn at the ranch 15 miles away. I never did weigh individual bales but if you did the math each bale was +/-100 pounds. (490 bales per 25 ton net T&T load.)
DeleteIf some of those bales weren't 110 pounds I'll eat my hay hooks.
The only way you could stack bales like that in the barn was to stair-step them. IIRC, they were stacked 7 or 8 bales high.
My back is pretty much junk today (at 71 years old). But I'm not complaining. It was a great way to keep in shape. I just wish I could still do it.
String tied bales packed less than wire tied bales. I could pick up a two sting tied alfalfa bale and toss it one handed. Wire tied bales required both hands, and if it had been rained on and was soaked you had to use a knee boost to get it up in the air.
Delete"Just another day at the office" for some of us
ReplyDeleteYes, those appear to be two string bales. Never seen three string bales being tossed up like that. Stacking that 'builds character', especially when you have the move the old bales out before putting the new bales in place.
ReplyDeleteThat guy is tough - I need gloves or the string will 'burn' the inside joints of my fingers. Yes, itchy when enters shirt and long sleeves are recommended to minimize abrasion from grass on forearms.
In my early 20s, put hay in the mow of an old mostly deaf farmer (RR and tractors).
ReplyDeleteHe would just keep tossing them on the elevator and bury me. Was crazy when you're stacking up near the roof. I'd be yelling, he'd be tossing.
When we had hogs in yards with A sheds, we would buy and stack 1500 to 1800 straw bales in two days and I threw every one of them for two or three other guys to stack into a hay mow and also under a tall roof. Didn't need to wear gloves in those days, but now a days 40-50 years later, it's a different story.
ReplyDeleteThis is why they make balers with kickers and hay wagons designed to catch them. And hay elevators. Still requires a good bit of manual handling, but that way you aren't ruining your back trying to lift and throw them all.
ReplyDeleteUsed to do about 3000 to 4000 bales a year of timothy hay, and had my three boys up in the loft stacking while I unloaded wagons onto the elevator. A horizontal track would take them from the elevator across the barn, and dump them off at different locations.
One of my goals in life, is to see a round baler, with a kicker!
DeleteWhen I was a young tike, back in the '50's, my dad would stack
ReplyDelete'em and my brother and I would rearrange 'em into tunnels to play.
I layer out of school one day and tossed bales into a truck then the barn loft. Came home sunburnt with arms covered in scratches. Dad was raised on a farm. He knew but never said anything. Guess he figured I got a pretty good education that day.
ReplyDeleteDo people still do square bales? I used to load them for spending money when I was a kid in Oklahoma many years ago, but nowadays all I see are these big round bales.
ReplyDeleteevery year we put @800-1000 small bales of hay for horses;, orchardgrass and Timothy, and 2400-2500 small bale oat or wheat straw for bedding horses and cows.
DeleteSink the hook and heave.
ReplyDeleteI realized I wanted to join the Army while I was throwing 90 lb bales of timothy when I was about 16. I figured the work was easier and the pay was better. Turns out, I was right.
ReplyDelete